Next-Generation iPhone with LTE, NFC, and 1 GB RAM Reportedly Still in Engineering Testing

Disputing a report from last weekend claiming that Apple has begun production on the next-generation iPhone, BGR now claims that the device is still in engineering testing and has yet to enter production.

Apple goes through multiple stages before a product is manufactured, and two of these include the “engineering verification test” stage and the “design verification test” phase. Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone is currently in the EVT3 stage, the third revision of the engineering test stage, and has not yet entered the DVT stage.

The report also claims to have confirmed several hardware details on the forthcoming iPhone, including the unsurprising inclusion of LTE connectivity, a bump to 1 GB of RAM from the 512 MB found in the iPhone 4S, and near field communication (NFC) technology that could significantly enhance the utility of Apple's Passbook app for iOS 6 unveiled last month.